Prime Minister

British Irish Council

Lady Hermon: To ask the Prime Minister, whether she plans to attend the next British-Irish Council meeting; and if she will make a statement.

Mrs Theresa May: The British Irish Council provides a unique opportunity for the eight member administrations to work together on matters of mutual interest. The composition of the UK Government's delegation to the Council will be announced in due course.

Department for Work and Pensions

Housing Benefit: Young People

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether savings to the public purse over the current Parliament, which his Department estimated will accrue from changes in housing benefit for people under 21 years of age includes the costs of evictions and temporary accommodation potentially resulting from those changes; and whether he has made an assessment of the effect of those changes on young peoples' labour mobility.

Caroline Nokes: It is important to make clear that the changes referred to will only affect claimants on Universal Credit Full service – they will not affect those on Housing Benefit. Since the policy was initially announced, we have worked in collaboration with key housing stakeholders such as Crisis and Shelter to make sure the policy includes the right exemptions to protect the most vulnerable people; we are therefore confident about the robustness of the policy.

Public Transport: Pensioners

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on the steps that Department is taking to provide pensioners with (a) affordable and (b) safe public transport options.

Richard Harrington: The Secretary of State regularly discusses relevant issues with the Secretary of State for Transport, who is responsible for policies on the affordability and safety of public transport in England.

Children: Maintenance

Marion Fellows: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the amount of child maintenance arrears is in (a) Scotland and (b) Motherwell and Wishaw constituency.

Caroline Nokes: As at September 2016 the total value of Child Support Agency arrears on cases in Scotland stood at £257.46m, of this the total value of arrears on cases in the constituency of Motherwell and Wishaw stood at £4.59m. Information on geographical breakdowns on the Child Maintenance Service is not routinely recorded for management information purposes and could only be provided at a disproportionate cost. The Department published its strategy for releasing experimental statistics on the 2012 scheme on 26 February 2014, and this was updated on 30 November 2016. This document provides information on future plans about measures to be published on the scheme. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/publication-strategy-for-the-2012-scheme-administered-by-the-child-maintenance-service  Notes: 1) Numbers are rounded to the nearest 10,000.2) Cases have been allocated to a parliamentary constituency by matching the residential postcode of the parent with care or non-resident parent for all cases administered on the CS2 and CSCS computer systems and cases managed off system to the Office for National Statistics Postcode Directory.

Children: Maintenance

Marion Fellows: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much raised from Child Maintenance Service application fees came from (a) resident and (b) non-resident parents in 2015-16.

Caroline Nokes: This information is not readily available and could only be provided at a disproportionate cost.

Sick Leave: Multiple Sclerosis

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance he has issued to employers on disability absence policy for employees with multiple sclerosis; and if he will make a statement.

Penny Mordaunt: The Department provides a pan-disability service and has therefore not issued any specific guidance to employers in respect of multiple sclerosis. Disability Confident provides guidance to employers to enable them to recruit and support disabled people and those with long term health conditions in work, including people with physical impairments as a result of conditions such as multiple sclerosis. In addition, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) provides guidance to employers on how they can support their disabled employees to stay in work. We recognise that supportive absence management processes are key to helping people stay in work or return to work after a period of sickness absence. Fit Notes and Statutory Sick Pay are there to support employees to remain in work or return to work. In the recently published ‘Improving Lives – the Work, Health and Disability Green Paper’, we are consulting on proposals to reform the Statutory Sick Pay and Fit Note systems so that they better encourage supportive conversations and phased returns to work.

Multiple Sclerosis

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will estimate the number of people in the workforce who have multiple sclerosis; and if he will make a statement.

Penny Mordaunt: Our measure of disability employment by condition type is based on data from the Labour Force Survey. Whilst this survey has a large sample size, it does not collect enough data on every specific condition to provide robust estimates on the number of working age adults who have multiple sclerosis on its own. Latest available figures report that in Q2 2016 around 146,000 of the disabled working age adults who have progressive illnesses that include multiple sclerosis (but also cancer, symptomatic HIV, Parkinson’s disease and muscular dystrophy) are in employment.

Social Security Benefits: Children

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department plans to publish copies of the public responses to its consultation, entitled Exceptions to the limiting of the individual child element of tax credits and the child element of universal credit to a maximum of two children, published in October 2016.

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, on what date his Department plans to respond to public comments on its consultation, entitled Exceptions to the limiting of the individual child element of tax credits and the child element of universal credit to a maximum of two children, published in October 2016.

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many officials of his Department have been designated to work full-time in processing responses to the consultation, entitled Exceptions to the limiting of the individual child element of tax credits and the child element of universal credit to a maximum of two children, published in October 2016.

Damian Hinds: The consultation closed on 27 November and Government will respond to it in the usual way, prior to bringing forward the relevant legislation in time for April 2017. We have no plans to publish copies of the responses due to the sensitive and personal information disclosed within them. DWP, HMT and HMRC officials are reviewing the consultation responses as part of their normal duties.

Children: Day Care

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, on how many occasions his Department has made a determination to reduce the costs of childcare taken into account for the purposes of universal credit; and what the aggregate value of those reductions is.

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many children and of which ages received childcare part-funded by the childcare costs element of universal credit in each year since it was introduced.

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many families have benefitted from the childcare costs element of universal credit in each year since it was introduced.

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much the Government has spent on the childcare cost element of universal credit by age of child in each year since the introduction of universal credit.

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much the Government has spent on the childcare costs of universal credit in each year since the introduction of that credit.

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what analysis the Government has conducted into the effect of the childcare costs element of universal credit on the household income of those who receive that credit.

Damian Hinds: The information requested is not collated centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. The Department updated its strategy for releasing official statistics on Universal Credit (UC) in December 2016. As outlined in the strategy, officials are currently assessing the data for UC and will only release information once the necessary quality assurance work has taken place. These statistics will be published in accordance with the relevant protocols in the Code of Practice for official statistics. Universal Credit official statistics and the Departments release strategy can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/universal-credit-statistics The Government recognises that the high costs of childcare can affect many parents’ decisions on returning to and taking up paid work. That is why we increased the level of support for childcare costs within Universal Credit from 70% to 85%. This means that hard working families on Universal Credit can now claim up to 85% of their eligible childcare costs which equates to a maximum support of £646.35 per month for one child and £1108.04 per month for two or more children. This change will benefit up to 500,000 working families once Universal Credit has fully rolled out. The intention is that more and more families will get more out of the money they earn, and find that it pays to get a job, from taking the first few shifts back at work, right up to working full-time.

Industrial Injuries

Stewart Malcolm McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the advice given by the Industrial Injuries Advisory Committee in Command Paper 9247, Extrinsic allergic alveolitis: isocyanates and other occupational causes, published in April 2016, whether he intends to introduce legislative proposals to update the list of prescribed medical conditions.

Penny Mordaunt: I can confirm that I have accepted the recommendations of the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council, in respect of their command paper 9247. Regulations to implement these changes are currently being prepared, and are expected to be brought into force during Spring 2017.

Pre-school Education

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what studies his Department is sponsoring to develop the evidence base on the effectiveness of early years intervention.

Caroline Nokes: Although the Department is not currently directly sponsoring any studies to develop the evidence base on the effectiveness of early years intervention, it contributes funding to the Early Intervention Foundation (EIF) What Works centre, which continues to develop this evidence base. In the financial year 2015-16 DWP funded the EIF to complete the evidence review ‘What works to enhance interparental relationships and improve children's outcomes’, which was published on 22 March 2016. This is informing the development of our new programme to tackle parental conflict.

Local Housing Allowance

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 5 December 2016 to Question 55413, on local housing allowance, what information his Department holds on the number of universal credit claimants who will be affected by proposed changes to local housing allowance (a) in each region and (b) aged under 35.

Caroline Nokes: The information requested is not available. A full impact assessment will be undertaken in due course.

Social Mobility

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to publish the delayed Life Chances Strategy or a replacement in 2016.

Damian Hinds: The Prime Minister is clear that tackling poverty and disadvantage, and delivering real social reform, is a priority for this Government. We intend to bring forward a social justice green paper in the new year.

Home Office

Home Office: UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

Sue Hayman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Written Ministerial Statement of 6 December 2010, Official Report, column 7WS, what consideration her Department has given to the articles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child when making new policy and legislation since May 2015.

Sarah Newton: On 17 October the Minister for Vulnerable Children and Families laid a Written Ministerial Statement reaffirming the Government’s commitment to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. It stated that both the UNCRC articles and the Committee’s recent Concluding Recommendations serve as a helpful and important guide to making sure that our policies – whether they hold direct or indirect consequences – consider children.Home Office Ministers and Officials consider the rights, freedoms, and protections for children throughout the policy-making and legislative process. A recent example is the Modern Slavery Act 2015 which specifically provides additional protections for children. Cabinet Office guidance encourages all government departments to consider, and set out in summary, the anticipated effects of legislation on children and on the compatibility of draft legislation with the UNCRC. This guidance can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/450239/Guide_to_Making_Legislation

Counter-terrorism

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the list of vulnerabilities and warning signs tutors are advised to look out for as part of Workshop to Raise Awareness of Prevent training.

Mr Ben Wallace: The Workshop to Raise Awareness of Prevent training provides attendees with case studies to help build an understanding of how to recognise potentially vulnerable individuals who may be at risk of radicalisation, and how to share concerns so that the right support can be offered when it is required. All the case studies used in the training are based on real-life accounts. Feedback from attendees of WRAP training is consistently positive, and the content of the product is frequently revised and updated.

Extradition: Republic of Ireland

Tom Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications the Government made to the Department of Justice and Equality of the government of the Republic of Ireland seeking extradition of persons within that state's jurisdiction for alleged criminal offences not related to acts of terrorism within the UK from 1969 to 1998.

Tom Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications the Government made to the Department of Justice and Equality of the government of the Republic of Ireland seeking extradition of persons within that state's jurisdiction for alleged criminal offences related to acts of terrorism within the UK from 1969 to 1998.

Mr Ben Wallace: This information is not held centrally, but the information that is available covers 1973 and 1999 eight people in total were extradited to the UK from Ireland for terrorism offences and the UK made 110 extradition requests to Ireland in relation to terrorist offences. No information is available on how many requests were made for alleged criminal offences not related to acts of terrorism.

Borders: Personal Records

Mr David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department plans that the warning index and Semaphore systems update will be completed.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Digital Services at the Border (DSAB) Programme was launched in 2014 to deliver a new generation of Border Security Systems including replacing the Warnings Index (WI) and Semaphore. This has a scheduled end-date of 31 March 2019.

Dimitri Kluyev

Mr Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will take steps to prohibit Dmitri Kluyev from investing proceeds of criminal activity in the UK.

Mr Ben Wallace: Through Money Laundering Regulations, the UK regulated sector is required to carry out due diligence checks to identify illicit wealth and prevent it from entering the financial system.Where illicit funds are identified, then law enforcement agencies have, through the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, robust powers to seize and recover these.

Pavel Karpov

Mr Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether there is an order in force that would prevent Pavel Karpov from entering the UK on or before 1 December 2016.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the 39 Russian nationals, named in the Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act passed by the US Congress and President Obama in 2012, are currently barred from entering the UK.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will issue orders barring the 39 Russian nationals, named in the Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act passed by the US Congress and President Obama in 2012, from entering the UK.

Mr Ben Wallace: We have a long established practice of not routinely commenting on individual immigration cases. Reasons for this include data protection.We can however confirm that foreign nationals requiring leave to enter the UK must meet the requirements of the Immigration Rules in the category of entry sought and that, by their own actions, must not have brought themselves within scope of the general grounds for refusal in the Immigration Rules.Evidence that an individual has been involved in organised crime or human rights abuses would be taken into account when a visa application is considered. Individuals will be denied entry to the UK where there is evidence to show that their presence would not be considered conducive to the public good.

Visas: Russia

Mr Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many investor visas have been granted to Russian nationals since 2006.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The information requested is published in quarterly statistics from table vi_06_q_w in Immigration Statistics, July – September 2016, in line with Ministerial guidance. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-july-to-september-2016/list-of-tables#visas

Domestic Violence: Females

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether women are able to take refuge under domestic violence legislation if they continue to cohabit with their partner after the expiry of their initial leave to remain.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Destitute non-EEA nationals who have leave, or had leave, to enter or remain as a partner of a British citizen or person settled here and who claim to be victims of domestic abuse may apply under the provisions of the Destitute Domestic Violence Concession to access public funds, which may include access to refuges and multi agency support. This applies equally to those who are cohabiting with their partner and have valid leave to remain in the United Kingdom and those whose period of limited leave to enter or remain has expired.

Immigration Controls: Heathrow Airport

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of levels of Border Control officers at Heathrow Airport; and what steps she is taking to increase those levels.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Border controls at Heathrow are among the most stringent in the world. Border Force employs a rigorous and effective control regime at the UK’s borders, predicated on a policy of carrying out full checks of all arriving passengers and an intelligence-led approach to searching for contraband goods that ensures resources are used as effectively as possible. Border Force Heathrow has transformed its working practices, command and control and leadership in order to keep the UK safe.We have also invested in new technology to enhance security and improve the service delivered to legitimate passengers and deliver efficiencies. 55 ePassport Gates are operational across Heathrow terminals. A total of 8.8 million passengers used the ePassport gates at Heathrow in the past year (to end of October 2016), which represents 64.3% of eligible passengers. This is a 27% increase from the same period ending October 2015.

Police and Fire and Rescue Services: Taxation

Dr Paul Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the taxation levels of front-line police and fire services across the constituent parts of the UK.

Brandon Lewis: Both policing and the fire service are devolved in Scotland and Northern Ireland.Council tax policy in Wales is a matter for the Welsh government. Council tax referendum principles for local authorities in England are set by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and are subject to the approval of the House of Commons. An announcement about principles for 2017/18 will, be made shortly.

Trespass

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is taking to ensure police authorities are better able to enforce sections 61 and 62 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994.

Brandon Lewis: Decisions on the use of powers available to them in the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 are an operational matter for the police.The Government published guidance for the police and local authorities on dealing with illegal and unauthorised encampments in March 2015. This sets out the wide range of powers already available, including the use of Section 61 and 62 notices of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994.

EU Foreign and Security Policy

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to co-operate on knowledge-sharing related to policy and security with other EU countries after the UK has left the EU.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The UK will, in due course, be leaving the EU but the importance of law enforcement co-operation with our EU and global allies has not changed.We are exploring options for cooperation arrangements once the UK has left the EU. We will do what is necessary to keep people safe, but it would be wrong to set out unilateral positions on specific measures in advance of negotiations.

Seasonal Agricultural Workers' Scheme

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU on the agricultural workers scheme.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme was closed at the end of 2013 when the transitional employment restrictions applied to nationals of Bulgaria and Romania were lifted. Until exit negotiations are concluded, the UK remains a full member of the European Union and all the rights and obligations of EU membership remain in force. The agricultural sector will until then continue to be able to recruit EU-national workers to meet their labour needs until the UK leaves the EU.There are a number of options as to how EU migration might work once we have left. We are about to begin these negotiations and it would be wrong to set out further positions in advance. At every step of these negotiations we will work to ensure the best possible outcome for the British people.

Refugees: Syria

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many refugees have resettled in the UK under the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Home Office is committed to publishing data in an orderly way as part of the regular quarterly Immigration Statistics, in line with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics. Latest statistics published on 01 December confirmed that a total of 4,414 Syrians have been resettled under the scheme since it began, 4,162 of these arriving in the 12 months to the end of September 2016.

Police: Mergers

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government has taken to encourage voluntary mergers between police forces.

Brandon Lewis: Decisions on whether to merge with another police force are for individual Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) and Chief Constables who are accountable to their local communities and best placed to determine what would be in local interests. PCCs and Chief Constables up and down the country are demonstrating that they can deliver more efficient and effective policing through collaboration without sacrificing local accountability and identity. Requests for voluntary mergers would be considered only where they are supported by a robust business case and have community consent.

Higher Education: Finance

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 30 November 2016 to Question 54580, which universities do not stick to the rules.

Mr Robert Goodwill: All institutions that sponsor Tier 4 students are required to undergo an annual basic compliance assessment. Details of the results of this are not made public for reasons of commercial confidentiality.

Visas: EU Nationals

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the projected costs of processing and facilitating visas to the EU after the UK has left the EU.

Mr Robert Goodwill: At every step of these negotiations we will work to ensure the best possible outcome for the British people.

Immigration Controls: EU Nationals

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government has taken to determine the extra resources required at UK airports to process the arrival of EU citizens once the UK leaves the EU.

Mr Robert Goodwill: There are a number of options as to how EU migration might work once we have left. We are considering various options and it would be wrong to set out further positions at this stage.

Police: Safety

Chris Elmore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance is given to police officers on maintaining their safety during single officer patrols.

Brandon Lewis: Guidance for officer safety is currently set out in the Personal Safety Manual, created by Association of Chief Police Officers. The College of Policing is responsible for reviewing and updating this guidance. The College also sets standards for the learning, delivery and assessment of personal safety training delivered by forces. The training covers tactical communications, self-defence and restraint that can be used by officers on their own or working with other officers. It remains the responsibility of Chief Constables, working with directly elected police and crime commissioners, to manage and support the police workforce effectively, ensuring the welfare of all officers and staff.

Department of Health

Obesity

Craig Whittaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of strategies local authorities have in place to tackle (a) childhood and (b) adult obesity.

Nicola Blackwood: Local authorities (LA) have access to the National Child Measurement Programme and NHS Health Checks to identify, monitor and help inform the needs of their local child and adult populations. Public Health England (PHE) will continue to work with LAs on public health approaches that support evidence based and place-based approaches, including the Sustainability Transformation Plans, whilst delivering the actions outlined in the Government's Childhood Obesity Plan. Local authorities continue to invest in a breadth of approaches to tackle obesity, including work to improve the local food offer in public places; create healthier built environments; and provide weight management services to children and adults looking to achieve a healthier weight. PHE are supporting local authorities to implement effective strategies by developing accessible resources and toolkits that support local authorities to take a place-based and whole systems approach to tackling obesity.

Nurses

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many professionals have been registered on the Nursing and Midwifery Council's nursing register for the Yorkshire North and East and Northern Lincolnshire region in each year since 2009.

Mr Philip Dunne: The information requested is not held by the Department or the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

Surgery: Vale of York

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make an assessment of whether the NHS Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group's plans to delay treatments for obese patients and smokers is consistent with the NHS Constitution.

David Mowat: The NHS Constitution asks patients to recognise that they can make a significant contribution to their own health and wellbeing, and take personal responsibility for it. The Handbook to the NHS Constitution states: “The right to treatment within 18 weeks from referral will cease to apply in circumstances where… delaying the start of your treatment is in your best clinical interests, for example where smoking cessation or weight management is likely to improve the outcome of the treatment.” The handbook can be found at the following address:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/474450/NHS_Constitution_Handbook_v2.pdf NHS Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group is fully committed to ensuring local clinicians make decisions to ensure the best clinical outcome for patients – we know that smokers and obese patients are at greater risk of harm from surgical interventions.

HIV Infection

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what funding his Department provides to charities and trusts that support people diagnosed with HIV.

Nicola Blackwood: Nationally funded work on HIV through the charitable and voluntary sector is focused on prevention of infection in those at higher risk of acquiring HIV. The HIV Prevention Innovation Fund is open to voluntary sector organisations to deliver projects, preferably of up to 12 months duration, that explore new ways to address high risk behaviours in those communities most affected by HIV. A total of £0.6 million was allocated to the fund in 2016/17 and addressing HIV-associated stigma was identified as one of the priorities. This is only one element of our funding for HIV Prevention and Sexual Health Promotion for which there is £2.5 million funding in 2016/17.

Health Professions: Labour Turnover

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the turnover of NHS staff was in each band of (a) nurse and (b) surgeon in each month from January 2016; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Philip Dunne: NHS Digital collects data on turnover for nursing staff and surgeons working in the National Health Service. The attached table shows how many people leave or join the NHS each month as a proportion of all in the particular group in that month. Numbers are shown for each nursing band and for associate specialist, specialty doctor, staff grade doctor and consultant surgeons from January 2016. Numbers of staff moving between grades or across organisations within the NHS are not included.



PQ55664- Turnover to the nurse group and surgical 
(Excel SpreadSheet, 29.93 KB)

Hospitals: Repairs and Maintenance

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many hospital sites across England have backlog maintenance costs of £10 million or more; and how many of those hospital sites are assessed as high risk on that account.

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate the NHS has made of the cost of high risk repairs in each month from January 2015; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Philip Dunne: Information on National Health Service sites across England that have reported backlog maintenance costs is collected annually from the NHS through the Estates Return Information Collection system and is published at: http://hefs.hscic.gov.uk/ This information is not amended centrally. Therefore, the NHS organisations that have provided the data are responsible for its completeness and accuracy. NHS organisations locally are responsible for the safety and quality of their estate as well as the management of their own backlog maintenance, including high-risk repairs. They decide on the investment needed to maintain their estate. We will invest more than £20 billion on capital over the next five years including for maintenance of estate, new buildings and equipment, to ensure NHS facilities meet the highest possible standards.

Family Nurse Partnership Programme

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much Government funding has been allocated to the Family Nurse Partnership in each year since that initiative was launched; and how many people worked in Family Nurse Partnerships in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Nicola Blackwood: Information on Government funding allocated to the Family Nurse Partnership (FNP) to cover costs of the FNP National Unit and local sites between 2006-08 and 2012-13 is set out in the table below. Year£ million2006-0816.002008-0925.002009-10210.302010-11211.202011-12212.072012-13210.991 Funded by the Department for Children Schools and Families. This covers two financial years.2 Funded by the Department of Health. From 2013-14 only the costs of the national unit were funded centrally by the Government. Since then, FNP local sites have been funded by NHS England and local authorities and this information is not collected centrally.

Mental Health Services: Children and Young People

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average waiting time was for (a) looked after children and (b) young people accessing child and adolescent mental health services in the latest period for which figures are available.

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many vulnerable young people have not been able to access child and adolescent mental health services or adult mental health services as a result of (a) not meeting diagnostic thresholds or (b) being deemed as not having a stable placement in each of the last three years.

Nicola Blackwood: This information is not held centrally.

Care Homes: Fees and Charges

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to support people in care homes who receive unexpected (a) telephone and (b) management fees bills.

David Mowat: Care home residents who purchase or arrange their own care are protected by consumer law. Under the Health and Social Care Act 2008, all providers of regulated activities must register with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and meet a set of Fundamental Standards of safety and quality, below which care provision should never fall. The Fundamental Standards were introduced on 1 April 2015. They set out the basic requirements that providers should always meet and outline the outcomes that services users should always expect. The CQC monitors, inspects and regulates services against the Standards and publishes its findings. The Standards include a Duty of Candour, which requires providers of care to be open and transparent with users of services about their care and treatment and to address complaints promptly and fairly. The CQC has a range of enforcement powers it can use in the event that it considers providers not to be meeting the Standards. On 2 December, the Competition and Markets Authority announced that it will conduct a market study into care homes for older people. The study will look closely at reports of potentially unfair practices and contract terms in some care homes to assess how widespread these concerns are, how they are affecting residents and whether they are likely to breach consumer law.

Tobacco: Sales

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department plans to require tobacco manufacturers to publish sales data at a local level; and if he will make a statement.

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans his Department has to reduce the smoking rate in people under the age of 16; and if he will make a statement.

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans his Department has to reduce the smoking rate in manual workers; and if he will make a statement.

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans his Department has to reduce the smoking rate in pregnant workers; and if he will make a statement.

Nicola Blackwood: We are working on developing a new tobacco control plan, which we will be publishing shortly. The plan will focus on supporting priority groups such as pregnant women and young people. The Tobacco and Related Products Regulations require tobacco producers (manufacturers and importers) to supply sales data annually for the whole of the United Kingdom alongside a range of other information when products are notified. Public Health England will make public all data that is not commercially sensitive.

Smoking

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the role of sustainability and transformation plans is in (a) promoting the use of Stop Smoking Services and (b) implementing a more integrated approach between public health teams on smoking cessation and local efforts on tobacco control.

Nicola Blackwood: Sustainability and Transformation Plans have no explicit instruction on smoking cessation. Public Health England has provided a Menu of Preventative Interventions to support local decision making. It provides specific advice on reducing the burden on National Health Service by focusing on supporting patients to stop smoking.

Mental Health Services: Liverpool

Mrs Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much funding has been made available for the provision of mental health services in Liverpool in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Nicola Blackwood: Information is not available in the format requested.

Blood: Contamination

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 28 November 2016 to Question 54445, on contaminated blood, if he will (a) provide the names of potential suppliers which have completed the infected blood scheme administrator services supplier questionnaire and (b) make it his policy to publish all submissions received once the procurement process is complete.

Nicola Blackwood: The procurement process is being run in line with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. It would be inappropriate to comment while the procurement process is ongoing.

Prostate Cancer

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he plans to make testosterone injections for treating prostate cancer available on the NHS.

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he plans for the prostate cancer injections to be available on the NHS.

Nicola Blackwood: The use of bipolar androgen therapy involving testosterone for the treatment of prostate cancer is still undergoing clinical trials and it would be premature to comment on its future availability on the National Health Service. Hormone therapy injections, often used in combination with radiotherapy, are available on the NHS to treat prostate cancer, subject to the patient’s individual clinical circumstances.

Asthma

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he plans to make mepolizumab available on the NHS to treat asthma.

Nicola Blackwood: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has issued draft guidance on the use of mepolizumab (Nucala) for treating severe refractory eosinophilic asthma. This recommends that adults with severe asthma symptoms, including those who suffer many asthma attacks or those taking regular oral steroids, should have access to the drug. Final guidance is expected to be published in January 2017. In the absence of NICE guidance, funding decisions for individual treatments should be made by the relevant National Health Service commissioner, based on an assessment of the available evidence.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Genetically Modified Organisms: Research

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much funding the Government plans to grant for GMO research between 2017 and 2020.

Joseph Johnson: Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) research is funded by the Government through a number of channels, including the Research Councils and Innovate UK. The Research Councils welcome applications supporting any aspect of their research portfolio. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards made on the basis of the scientific quality of the proposals made. Research proposals in all areas, including GMO research, compete for funding available from the Research Councils. Innovate UK supports industry-led translational research in this field on a project by project basis. All project applications are independently assessed with only the most high quality and innovative proposals securing funding. Potential future investments in the translation and development of GMO technologies will be made on this basis.

Tidal Power: Swansea Bay

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the effect of Swansea Bay tidal lagoon on the manufacturing industry.

Jesse Norman: Development of a supply chain forms a key part of the Contract for Difference (CFD) negotiation process. The Hendry Review, which has been considering a number of issues including supply chain opportunities, has now been submitted to the department. We thank Charles Hendry for his hard work and will look carefully at the review’s findings as part of our wider assessment of the future nature of the energy mix and our decarbonisation plans. We will formally respond in due course.

Tidal Power

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 30 November 2016 to Question 54997, when he expects to receive the Independent Review of Tidal Lagoons led by Charles Hendry.

Jesse Norman: The Hendry Review has been submitted to the department. We thank Charles Hendry for his hard work and will look carefully at the review’s findings as part of our wider assessment of the future nature of the energy mix and our decarbonisation plans. We will formally respond in due course.

Fuel Poverty

Dr Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the tenures of property were of the fuel poor households living in F and G rated properties in the last year.

Jesse Norman: The tenure of fuel poor households that had been rated as an F or G rated property in line with either the Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP), or the Fuel Poverty Energy Efficiency Rating (FPEER) are as follows: Fuel poor and SAP rating F/GFuel poor and FPEER rating F/G Number of householdsProportionNumber of householdsProportionLocal authority8,8413%8,2593%Owner occupied132,54546%128,66447%Private rented123,37143%117,69443%Registered social landlord22,0598%20,5327%Grand Total286,816100%275,149100% Figures are representative of England in 2014, the latest year available.

Energy: Prices

Dr Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many standard variable customers have switched tariff with their own supplier in the last two years.

Jesse Norman: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy does not collect this data. Ofgem collects and publishes data on those who switch to another tariff with their existing supplier. However, this data does not distinguish between those switching from variable or fixed tariffs.

Electricity Generation

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to page 21 of his Department's report on electricity generation costs, published in November 2016, when his Department plans to publish its findings of the whole system impacts investigation.

Jesse Norman: Holding answer received on 05 December 2016



To improve the Department’s understanding of the impacts of individual electricity generation technologies, Frontier Economics were commissioned to develop a comprehensive framework to define whole system impacts and their components and drivers, which can be applied to a range of electricity generation technologies. The resulting methodology report and its peer reviews will be published in due course.

Tidal Power

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent steps his Department has taken to support efforts further to research and develop tidal power.

Jesse Norman: From 2013–2015, the Government and its agencies (including Innovate UK and the Research Councils) invested on average over £200m per year in support for low carbon innovation. This included support for innovation in the marine sector, including research on tidal power, primarily through the Glasgow-based Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult, Supergen Centre for Marine Energy Research and the Marine Energy Array Demonstrator scheme. From 2016-2021, the Government has committed to increase the UK’s energy innovation spend, such that by 2021 it will have doubled to over £400m per year. This funding will support innovation across the energy sector in regions across the UK. Round four of Innovate UK’s Energy Catalyst programme has attracted proposals from tidal energy developers and details of other funding opportunities will be set out in due course. Through the new Energy Innovation Board, chaired by Sir Mark Walport, the Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy will be collaborating with Innovate UK, the Research Councils, and other delivery partners across government, including members of Devolved Administrations, to co-ordinate energy innovation activities.

Wave Power

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent steps his Department has taken to support efforts further to research and develop wave power.

Jesse Norman: From 2013–2015, the Government and its agencies (including Innovate UK and the Research Councils) invested on average over £200m per year in support for low carbon innovation. This included research on wave power, primarily through the Glasgow-based Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult and Supergen Centre for Marine Energy Research. From 2016-2021, the Government has committed to increase the UK’s energy innovation spend, such that by 2021 it will have doubled to over £400m per year. This funding will support innovation across the energy sector in regions across the UK. The recent launch of phase five of the Energy Entrepreneurs Fund has already attracted interest from wave energy developers and details of other funding opportunities will be set out in due course. Through the new Energy Innovation Board, chaired by Sir Mark Walport, the Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy will be collaborating with Innovate UK, the Research Councils, and other delivery partners across government, including members of Devolved Administrations, to co-ordinate energy innovation activities.

Wind Power

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent steps his Department has taken to support efforts further to research and develop (a) offshore wind and (b) floating wind power.

Jesse Norman: From 2013–2015, the Government and its agencies (including Innovate UK and the Research Councils) invested on average over £200m per year in support for low carbon innovation. This included support for innovation in offshore wind, including research on floating wind, primarily through the Glasgow-based Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult. From 2016-2021, the Government has committed to increase the UK’s energy innovation spend, such that by 2021 it will have doubled to over £400m per year. This funding will support innovation across the energy sector in regions across the UK. The recent launch of phase five of the Energy Entrepreneurs Fund has already attracted interest from offshore wind developers and details of other funding opportunities will be set out in due course. Through the new Energy Innovation Board, chaired by Sir Mark Walport, the Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy will be collaborating with Innovate UK, the Research Councils, and other delivery partners across government, including members of Devolved Administrations, to co-ordinate energy innovation activities. Following the announcement of the next Contract for Difference auction round, offshore wind projects above 300 MW wishing to enter the auction round must submit a Supply Chain Plan for assessment by the Department. The Government will assess the extent to which plans support Competition, Innovation and Skill in supply chains.

Coal: Concessions

Ruth Smeeth: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many miners whose employment with British Coal ended before they reached the age of 50 had their entitlement to concessionary coal reinstated after the introduction of the National Concessionary Fuel Scheme in 2013.

Jesse Norman: Holding answer received on 06 December 2016



In reference to employees solely employed by British Coal, there are no employees aged under 50 who have been reinstated as part of the 2013 announcement, which related specifically to employees of UK Coal who lost their entitlement following a fire at the company’s Daw Mill colliery in February 2013.There will be some UK Coal beneficiaries who TUPE transferred from British Coal to UK Coal in 1995 under the age of 50, who continued their entitlements with the new company and then fell under the terms of the 2013 announcement. However, Capita, who administer the concessionary fuel schemes, do not hold this information.

Hewden

Phil Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what representations he has received on the reasons for the recent collapse of Hewden; and if he will make a statement.

Jesse Norman: We have received no representations on the reasons for Hewden entering administration.But we recognise this is a very uncertain time for Hewden employees and their families; and it is positive that some business units have been sold and jobs secured. The Department for Work and Pensions are in contact with the administrators, the redundancy factsheet has been issued to all those affected and Job Centre Plus will help those affected move into new jobs as quickly as possible.

Erasmus+ Programme

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 4 November 2016 to Question 51507, what estimate he has made of the total cost of underwriting Erasmus plus bids that have been competitively funded after the UK has left the EU; and if he will make a statement.

Joseph Johnson: As bids are competitively awarded directly from the EU to private recipients, it is not possible to predict accurately how much funding UK bodies will be awarded in future years. In 2016 ten UK-led projects were approved, with an estimated total value of €13 million, and a typical duration of 3 years.

Coastal Areas: Economic Growth

Peter Aldous: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department's policies of the recommendations of the New Economics Foundation's Blue New Deal Action Plan, published in November 2016; and if he will make a statement.

Margot James: We welcome the Blue New Deal Action Plan from the New Economics Foundation as a useful contribution to the debate on coastal regeneration. The Government is actively supporting and encouraging coastal areas to diversify and transform their economies.The Blue New Deal Action Plan outlines the importance of community involvement in coastal areas. In 2015 we provided £1.18 million to establish 118 Coastal Community Teams around the English coast to empower local communities to take control of their own areas’ regeneration and we will shortly be announcing more than 20 new Teams. The Teams ensure local partners (including the Council, community groups and businesses) work together under a local and nationally recognised structure, and agree their strategic direction and key economic priorities. All 118 Coastal Community Teams have submitted publically available Economic Plans detailing how they plan to drive forward future growth, jobs and prosperity. This placed based approach allows for public bodies to work directly with local communities to help resolve specific issues and barriers.The Government is also supporting coastal areas to create jobs and investment. By 2017 the Coastal Communities Fund will have invested over £120 million in projects that are helping to create or safeguard over 18,000 jobs, provide more than 12,000 training places and apprenticeships, and attract over £200 million of public/ private sector co-finance. A further £90m is available between 2017 & 2021 and is the first time Coastal Community Teams in England are able to bid to the Coastal Communities Fund ensuring that, wherever possible, projects have the support of the local community and meet wider economic objectives.The Blue New Deal Action Plan suggests a national coastal brand for tourism. The Government continues to strongly encourage use of the Great British Coast logo which can be used by Coastal Community Teams to include all coastal initiatives including tourism. A number of Teams have been tailoring the logo to identify their local area within the overall coastal brand. The Blue New Deal Action Plan specifically identifies the need for an industrial strategy for the coast. This is an area we would be happy to discuss further with the New Economics Foundation.

Local Enterprise Partnerships: Local Growth Deals

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what proportion of the funding from the Local Growth Fund will be allocated to Local Enterprise Partnerships in areas which (a) do and (b) do not have elected mayors.

Margot James: It is not possible at this time to answer the question. The Government is currently negotiating a further set of Growth Deals, funded through the Local Growth Fund, with individual Local Enterprise Partnerships and we will announce the awards in due course.

Companies

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent estimate he has made of the number of workforce representatives on the boards of UK PLCs.

Margot James: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Personnel Management

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many people employed in human resources roles in his Department have (a) prior experience and (b) qualifications in human resources.

Margot James: Information on prior experience and qualifications is not held centrally and can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Ministry of Defence

Defence

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the implications for defence policy of the UK leaving the EU.

Mike Penning: The Ministry of Defence is working closely with the Department for Exiting the European Union to ensure that the full range of opportunities are taken, and risks mitigated as a result of leaving the EU. The UK retains a global outlook with the full range of military capabilities and the political will to protect our interests globally. We remain committed to meeting the NATO Defence Investment Pledge to spend 2% of GDP on Defence for the rest of this decade to maintain our world leading Armed Forces.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles: Procurement

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Ajax fighting vehicles for the armed forces are planned to be manufactured outside the UK.

Harriett Baldwin: I refer the hon. Member to the response given by my noble Friend, the Minister of State for Defence in the House of Lords, Earl Howe, to the noble Lord, Baron Moonie of Bennochy on 27 April 2016 to Question HL7778.  



Armoured Fighting Vehicles
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Armoured Fighting Vehicles: Procurement

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of the planned cost of the Ajax fighting vehicles for the armed forces will be paid to overseas contractors and suppliers.

Harriett Baldwin: This information is not held by the Ministry of Defence (MOD), as it is the responsibility of the Prime Contractor, General Dynamics Land Systems UK Ltd, to appoint subcontractors. The MOD assessment is that the programme is expected to support approximately 2,800 jobs across more than 160 UK suppliers. Of the total number of suppliers, 64% are UK based.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles: Procurement

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, from what country the steel for the manufacture of Ajax fighting vehicles for the armed forces will be sourced.

Harriett Baldwin: The steel requirement for the manufacture of Ajax has been sourced to date from Europe (the majority from Sweden). There remains a small amount of steel to be procured and UK companies will have the opportunity to bid for this.

Armed Forces: Sexual Offences

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many complaints of (a) rape, (b) sexual assault and (c) sexual harassment were made by armed forces personnel under the age of 18 at the time of the incident in each of the last four years; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Lancaster: All allegations of rape, sexual assault and sexual harassment made by members of the Armed Forces are thoroughly investigated by either the Civil or Service Police forces, depending upon who has jurisdiction. The following table provides details of the number of allegations made by Service personnel under the age of 18 of rape, sexual assault and sexual harassment which were investigated by the Service Police forces or Ministry of Defence Police in each of the last four calendar years.  2013201420152016 (to 30 November)Rape0001Sexual assault by penetration0210Sexual assault by touching2511Sexual harassment0000

International Assistance

Patrick Grady: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what capacity exists in the UK armed forces to (a) use and (b) deploy Joint Precision Airdrop Systems.

Harriett Baldwin: The United Kingdom Armed Forces does not currently have a Joint Precision Airdrop Systems (JPADS) capability which could be used or deployed. However, we recognise the benefits of the system and are currently investigating options to bring JPADS into service.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Housing: North of England

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how the housing investment announced in the Autumn Statement 2016 will benefit communities in (a) Hull and (b) the North of England.

Gavin Barwell: An extra £5.3 billion of funding for housing was announced at Autumn Statement, taking total planned investment to over £25 billion for the Spending Review period. This funding will support construction jobs, but also wider economic growth. Specifically, we will invest a further £1.4 billion into the Affordable Homes Programme and relax restrictions on grant funding so providers can deliver a mix of homes for affordable rent and low cost ownership. This will enable providers to meet the housing needs of people at different stages of their lives and in different areas of the country. Building more of the right homes, in the right places, is central to our vision of a country that works for everyone. Further details will be set out in the Government’s forthcoming Housing White Paper.

Antisocial Behaviour

Nusrat Ghani: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recourse homeowners on mixed estates of homeowners and tenants have for the resolution of complaints relating to troublesome neighbours; what role the Housing Ombudsman Service plays in the resolution of such complaints; and if he will make a statement.

Gavin Barwell: Home owners may complain to the landlord of the properties in which troublesome neighbours live and if dissatisfied with the response they receive, may follow the landlord's internal complaints process. Only tenants and leaseholders of housing associations, local authorities and other member landlords can pursue a complaint with the Housing OmbudsmanThere are no plans to extend the Housing Ombudsman’s remit to include investigating complaints from members of the wider public.

Council Tax: Arrears

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will make it his Department's policy to allow local authorities automatically to deduct agreed amounts from wages and benefits to repay council tax arrears.

Mr Marcus Jones: Holding answer received on 07 December 2016



The Government has consulted on possible measures to improve the efficiency of council tax collection and is currently considering responses to that consultation. It will set out its response shortly.

Land: Contamination

Simon Danczuk: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much funding his Department has allocated as part of the settlement for contaminated land activities to each local authority in England in 2016-17.

Mr Marcus Jones: Funding for local authorities to meet their statutory duty around contaminated land under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 is provided through the Local Government Finance Settlement. The relevant funding streams are unringfenced and this is to allow councils to manage their budgets independently and in line with local priorities.

Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the means of accountability are to central government of the Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership.

Andrew Percy: Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) are accountable to local areas through their lead local authority, known as the accountable body. In the case of Coast to Capital LEP this is West Sussex County Council.Government has a robust system of assurance in place for LEPs set out in the National Assurance Framework, published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/567528/161109_LEP_Assurance_Framework.pdf.This document sets out the requirement for LEPs to have in place the necessary systems and processes to manage delegated funding from central government budgets effectively.The accountable local authority is required to write to my department’s permanent secretary each year to confirm that their LEP is compliant with the rules set out in the National Assurance Framework.

Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when he last met the Chairman and Chief Executive of the Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership.

Andrew Percy: The Secretary of State has not met the Chairman or Chief Executive of the Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership.

Local Enterprise Partnerships

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the timetable is for the announcement of individual allocations for each Local Enterprise Partnership under the third round of growth deals.

Andrew Percy: Regional awards of £1.8 billion Growth Deal funding were announced at Autumn Statement. £556 million will go to the North of England, £392 million to Local Enterprise Partnerships in the Midlands, £151 million to the East of England, £492 million to London and the South East, and £191 million to the South West. A final announcement of individual awards to Local Enterprise Partnerships will be made by government in the coming weeks. This funding of local infrastructure will improve transport connections, unlock house building, boost skills, and enhance digital connectivity.

Scotland Office

Scotland Office: Work Experience

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many unpaid internships there are in his Department.

David Mundell: There are no unpaid internships in the Scotland Office.

Department for International Trade

Georgia: Overseas Trade

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps he has taken to increase UK trade with Georgia.

Mark Garnier: Boosting trade ties is at the heart of our relationship with Georgia. My Rt hon Friend the Minister of State for Europe and the Americas led an official delegation to Tbilisi on 24 November as part of the 2016 UK-Georgia ‘Wardrop Dialogue’.As an integral part of the Dialogue, the British Embassy hosted UK, Georgian and international businesses, including members of the British Business Group and the UK-Georgia Chamber of Commerce, to hear more about the opportunities for trade. The UK also supports the Georgian Government’s plans to further reform the economy and improve the business environment.The UK is the second largest investor in Georgia, and our trade is increasing: bilateral trade from January-September this year stood at £100 million, a 50% increase compared to the same period last year.

Armenia: Overseas Trade

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps he has taken to increase UK trade with Armenia.

Mark Garnier: The UK works with the Armenian government to support an improved business climate, increase investor confidence and reduce corruption.We have lobbied the Armenian government effectively in support of the Open Government Partnership Initiative and funded projects to support its implementation, increasing the effectiveness of public resource management and improving the transparency of their internal audit, tax administration and public procurement systems. Our projects have also supported the launch of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative in Armenia, which has the potential to increase Armenia’s GDP growth of 2% per annum. We have promoted the adoption in both the public and private sector in Armenia of the standards set by the Chartered Management Institute. These efforts seek to make business easier between UK and Armenian companies and improve the operating environment for UK businesses in Armenia.

Azerbaijan: Overseas Trade

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps he has taken to increase UK trade with Azerbaijan.

Mark Garnier: The Department for International Trade (DIT) has designated Azerbaijan as being a High Value Campaign Status country for oil and gas. Correspondingly DIT has undertaken a programme of activities throughout the year including two trade missions to Baku in April and November this year. This oil and gas partnership programme has delivered £700m in export wins this year.The UK appointed Baroness Emma Nicholson as the Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Azerbaijan in May 2016. She has visited the market twice in June and November to build relationships and identify new business opportunities for UK companies. The UK has established a Ministerial led Joint Inter-Governmental Commission to assist/enable more trade. The inaugural meeting was held in London in February 2016 with the next meeting due to be held in Baku in February 2017. The priority sectors are oil and gas, education and professional and financial services.

Imports: Israel

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what estimate he has made of the volume of goods imported from Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories to the UK in the last 12 months.

Mark Garnier: Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories report their trade through Israel. It is not possible to disaggregate imports from Israeli settlements from other Israeli imports.HMRC figures show the UK imported 340,000 tonnes of goods from Israel in the 12 months ending September 2016. These goods were worth £1 billion.

Overseas Trade: Wales

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what representations he has received from the Welsh Government on World Trade Organisation Schedules of concessions and quotas relating to tariffs and non-tariff barriers after the UK leaves the EU.

Greg Hands: My noble Friend the Minister of State for Trade Policy at the Department for International Trade met with the Welsh Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure on 3 November and discussed the Government’s trade priorities. We will continue to engage regularly with all Devolved Administrations on our trade priorities.

Women and Equalities

Banks: Gender

Sarah Champion: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if she will take steps to encourage banks to include a non-binary gender option on their official documents.

Caroline Dinenage: The Equality and Human Rights Commission is the regulator for the public sector equality duty set out in section 149 of the Equality Act 2010. The Commission uses a range of levers to ensure local authorities and other public bodies comply with the requirements of the duty, from provision of guidance through to enforcement activity where it considers there to be a strategic benefit.In light of the Brighton University report highlighted by the Honourable Member, the Commission will be writing to the Local Government Association (LGA) drawing its attention to the findings of the research and of the Commission’s evidence of the key equality challenges facing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, and asking the LGA to remind local authorities of their legal obligations under the public sector equality duty.

Equal Pay

Sir Henry Bellingham: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps the Government is taking to reduce the gender pay gap.

Caroline Dinenage: Eliminating the gender pay gap remains an absolute priority for this government. Transparency is one of the most powerful tools for shaping behaviour and driving change. That is why we will be requiring large employers to publish their gender pay gaps. The draft regulations were laid on Tuesday 6 December. If parliament approves the legislation, the regulations will commence in April 2017.

Young People

Nigel Huddleston: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if the Government will take steps to support young people to (a) develop their self-confidence and (b) understand pressures related to advertising.

Caroline Dinenage: We want all young people to be comfortable and confident in themselves and understand that the way you look should not define who you are. That is why we funded Media Smart, a media literacy resource for parents and teachers of Key Stage 2 pupils. The resource helps young people understand and challenge the stereotypes they may see in advertising.

Equality and Human Rights Commission

Chris Elmore: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what assessment the Government has made of the potential effect of the proposed reduction in funding on the work of the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

Caroline Dinenage: The Equality and Human Rights Commission performs an important and valuable role. Its Chair, David Isaac, and his Board are well equipped for this task. The Commission receives – and will continue to receive – sufficient funds to enable it to fulfil its full range of statutory functions.

Welfare State: Disability

Martyn Day: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what assessment the Government has made of the effect of its welfare policies on equality for disabled people.

Caroline Dinenage: The UK is a recognised world leader in disabled rights and equality, and the Government continues to spend around £50 billion a year to support sick and disabled people. According to OECD figures, the UK spends a higher proportion of its GDP on incapacity than any other G7 country except Germany.

Offenders: Gender Recognition

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what the Government's plans are for implementation of the recommendations in its review into the care and management of transgender offenders.

Caroline Dinenage: The Government is firmly committed to ensuring that transgender offenders are treated fairly, lawfully and decently, and their rights respected. A revised instruction, drawing on the conclusions on the Ministry of Justice’s review into the management and care of transgender offenders, was published on 9 November. This is already being applied, with full implementation by 1 January 2017.

Department for Transport

Roads: Safety

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to promote the road safety message to pupils, particularly during periods of the year when the UK is not on daylight saving time.

Andrew Jones: The Government’s THINK! road safety campaign promotes road safety learning amongst children and young people via its online educational resource programme. THINK! have a suite of downloadable materials - tailored by age group - available to teachers, parents and road safety professionals to help them deliver road safety education to pupils. Included in these resources is practical information and advice for how children can stay safe on our roads during the winter months when the nights are longer. THINK! is in the process of reviewing the child and teen resource to ensure that the materials are consistent with modern educational approaches.

Railway Stations: West Yorkshire

Craig Whittaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to improve parking arrangements and provision at Brighouse, Mytholmroyd, Hebden Bridge and Todmorden railway stations.

Paul Maynard: The Department for Transport is supportive of increasing the number of car parking spaces at stations where possible. The current Northern franchise agreement contains a commitment for the franchisee to provide 250 additional car park spaces across its estate at specific named stations. Whilst none of those stations affected by the increase are those named above, the franchisee has the discretion to carry out improvements at alternative stations, should any of those covered by the initial commitment prove unworkable.

Network Rail: Temporary Employment

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much Network Rail has spent on labour services from (a) Ganymede Solutions, (b) McGinley Support Services (Infrastructure), (c) Morson Human Resources, (d) Shorterm and (e) each of those company's subsidiaries in the last year.

Paul Maynard: Over the last year, Network Rail’s spend on labour services with those companies listed breaks down as follows:(a) £21,355,662.89(b) £22,679,386.19(c) £20,064,419.53(d) £10,755,465.70(e) Network Rail does not hold this information.[1] [1] Network Rail assumes that all spends with the named contractors are direct.

Railways: Conditions of Employment

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the extent of the use of (a) zero hours contracts, (b) bogus self-employment and (c) guaranteed minimum hours contracts in Network Rail's supply chain.

Paul Maynard: The Department has not undertaken such an assessment.

Railways: Working Hours

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the average weekly number of hours worked by individual contractors on railway infrastructure.

Paul Maynard: Network Rail has provided the below breakdown of the average weekly number of hours worked by its contractors where that information is available: Supplier NameAverage Weekly Total HrsAmey Rail3.8Bridgeway Consulting Ltd53.4Carillion Construction Ltd482.7Colas Rail Ltd1021.7Coyle Personnel plc1416.8Exxell Ltd29.8Ganymede Solutions Ltd27765.4GM Rail Services Ltd434.0GPX Engineering Ltd2.1Infra Safety Services Labour Ltd49.1Keltbray Rail35.0Linbrooke Services Ltd2.6McGinley Support Services Ltd33966.7MECX Technical Services Ltd331.5Morson Human Resources Ltd21166.6Renown Consultants14.9Resourcing Solutions Ltd410.4Shorterm Limited12522.5SW Global Resourcing Limited76.8TES2000 LTD1448.6

Railways: Safety

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the safety implications of the use of (a) zero hours contracts, (b) bogus self-employment and (c) guaranteed minimum hours contracts in Network Rail's supply chain for both (i) the railway infrastructure and workforce and (ii) the travelling public.

Paul Maynard: Assessments and handling of safety risk is a matter for Network Rail. It is the responsibility of the Office of Rail and Road to monitor Network Rail as the safety regulator.

Railways: Infrastructure

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he has taken to ensure consistency of workload throughout the year on railway infrastructure.

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he has taken to ensure consistency of employment on railway infrastructure in order to guarantee retention of skills.

Paul Maynard: Consideration of the consistency of Network Rail’s workload is a matter for the company to determine, as an arm’s length body from government.

Southeastern

Heidi Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress has been made by Network Rail in certifying the power supply on the Southeastern network for use with rolling stock previously serving Thameslink routes.

Paul Maynard: Network Rail is continuing to assess power supply implications associated with providing additional rolling stock to Southeastern. This will form part of our consideration of the business case and investment proposal.

Rolling Stock: South East

Heidi Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many old Class 377 trains his Department is considering transferring from the Govia Thameslink Railway network to the Southeastern network.

Paul Maynard: The business case and investment proposal for additional rolling stock on Southeastern will be considered in the coming weeks, and an announcement will be made in due course.

Southeastern: Rolling Stock

Heidi Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 21 October 2016 to Question 49274, if he will set out a timetable for delivering additional rolling stock on the Southeastern network in the current franchise period.

Paul Maynard: The business case and investment proposal for additional rolling stock on Southeastern will be considered in coming weeks, and an announcement will be made in due course.

Southeastern: Rolling Stock

Heidi Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 2 November 2016 to Question 50159, on which date his Department's Investment Board plans to consider the business case submitted by Southeastern Railway for additional rolling stock.

Paul Maynard: The Department's investment board is due to consider the investment proposal for additional rolling stock on Southeastern in coming weeks.

Bus Services

Andy Burnham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department holds on the number of bus passenger journeys that were made in (a) Leigh, (b) Greater Manchester, (c) London and (d) England in each of the last 10 years.

Andrew Jones: The number of passenger journeys made on local bus services in Greater Manchester for 2004/05 to 2015/16 can be found in table BUS0109b at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/bus01-local-bus-passenger-journeys#table-bus0109. Separate figures for Leigh are not available. The number of passenger journeys made on local bus services in London and England from 1970 to 2015/16 can be found in table BUS0103 at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/bus01-local-bus-passenger-journeys#table-bus0103.

Railways: Conditions of Employment

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many rail infrastructure workers in each year since 2010-11 were engaged on (a) zero hours and (b) guaranteed minimum hours contracts.

Paul Maynard: The Department does not hold this information.

Taxis: CCTV

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of requiring private hire vehicles to install CCTV cameras for the purpose of enhancing driver and passenger safety.

Andrew Jones: The legislation that provides for licensing of taxi and private hire vehicle services is enabling in its nature, giving local licensing authorities the discretion to set standards that they deem to be appropriate for their area. Local licensing authorities can already require the installation of CCTV in all taxis and private hire vehicles (PHVs) and a number already do so. The Government’s position on recommending the installation of CCTV in taxis and PHVs is being reviewed as part of the drafting of Statutory Guidance to safeguard children and vulnerable adults when using these vehicles. The Government will consult on this early next year.

Storms

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what mobilisation of the UK's national resources took place during Storm Angus; which bridges were so protected during that Storm; what infrastructure was so protected during that Storm; and whether the Army was called to provide assistance during that Storm.

Andrew Jones: Storm Angus did not warrant the mobilisation of the UK’s national resources nor the military to be deployed. However the Environment Agency, emergency services, Highways England, Network Rail and local highway authorities in affected areas were on standby to assist those that were affected and to also ensure that infrastructure was protected as much as possible.

Railways: Standards

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy to increase the powers of regulators to sanction poorly performing railway operators.

Paul Maynard: We have no current plans to reform the way the railway is regulated. The Government is moving towards a more integrated railway which brings track and train closer together and so works better for passengers in the first place. This should reduce the relative importance of regulatory mechanisms to address poor performance.

Roads: Repairs and Maintenance

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much his Department plans to allocate from the Pothole Action Fund for each local authority for each year to 2020-21.

Andrew Jones: The Department has announced allocations to local highway authorities totalling £120 million from the £250 million Pothole Action Fund. Further announcements on how the remaining funding will be allocated will be made at the appropriate time.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Mrs Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will place a copy of the Misbourne Valley Lidar survey, carried out as part of the High Speed 2 project, in the Library.

Andrew Jones: The Lidar survey data is a highly detailed dataset that was used to create digital surface and digital terrain geospatial models to an accuracy of 20cm for use in developing HS2. The information is many terabytes in size, and is not kept in a form that would allow it to be deposited in the House library as requested, as it is data that can only be viewed using specialist mapping software. However, HS2 Ltd are happy to allow interested parties to view the data and where technically possible, to share it. HS2 Ltd will contact my Right Honourable Friend’s office to arrange such a viewing.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Burma: Rohingya

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has received on whether ethnic cleansing is taking place against the Rohingya in Burma.

Alok Sharma: We are aware of allegations about the ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya in Burma. Though the lack of access makes facts hard to verify, we are deeply concerned by reports of human rights violations in Rakhine State. I have lobbied the Burmese Government for an investigation into allegations of human rights abuses, as has the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my noble Friend, the Rt Hon. Baroness Anelay of St Johns, when she visited from 9-12 November. The Government of Burma has committed to an independent investigation and we urge them to make rapid progress with this. We will continue to monitor the situation closely.

Balkans: Politics and Government

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what diplomatic steps his Department is taking to support security and political stability in the Balkan states.

Sir Alan Duncan: In the last month, the Foreign Secretary has met the Prime Ministers of Serbia, Kosovo and Albania, as well as the Chair of the BiH Presidency, in order to support security and political stability in the region.The announcement that we will host the 2018 Western Balkans Summit, our senior bilateral contacts, and our engagement through our Embassies and programme funds, all support this Government's commitment to drive forward reform and embed stability in the Western Balkans.

Taiwan: Climate Change

Mr George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Taiwan's policies on tackling climate change.

Alok Sharma: We assess that the current and previous Taiwanese administrations have taken significant steps to tackle climate change. In 2015, Taiwan's legislature set a goal of reducing carbon emissions to 50 percent of 2005 levels by the year 2050, making it the first in the region to adopt legally binding greenhouse gas emission reduction targets. This legislation includes structures based on the UK model, specifically the Climate Change Committee and carbon budgets. This year the new administration has proposed new legislation on electricity market liberalisation, which should also help to reduce emissions.

Israel: Palestinians

Dr Paul Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the proportion of Palestinian child detainees from the West Bank who have been transferred and detained inside Israel in each month since April 2016.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: Whilst we do not hold monthly figures, the treatment of Palestinian children in Israeli military detention remains a human rights priority for the UK and I raised this with the Israeli Ambassador to London on 10 November. We remain concerned by the continued transfer of Palestinian child and adult detainees to prisons inside Israel, in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention.

Syria: International Assistance

Patrick Grady: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with (a) his US counterpart and (b) the UN on the potential use of the Joint Precision Airdrop System to deliver humanitarian relief supplies to (i) Aleppo and (ii) elsewhere in Syria.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: Getting humanitarian supplies to the nearly 1 million people living in the besieged areas in Syria, including eastern Aleppo, is a priority for this Government. The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Mr Johnson) discusses the issue of humanitarian access with international partners on a regular basis. He spoke to US Secretary of State, John Kerry, about the humanitarian situation in Syria most recently during a telephone call on 20 November. They also discussed these issues with like-minded partners during the meeting convened by the Foreign Secretary in London on 16 October. These high-level discussions have not gone into detail on specific types of technology. At working level the UK is working closely with the US and UN on possible options to get aid into besieged areas.We continue to support the UN's efforts to get humanitarian supplies to people across Syria. This is most effectively done by road. Airdrops are more dangerous and harder to implement successfully than ground access. In many cases, aid is just a few miles away from those in besieged areas and could reach people in need if the Syrian regime allowed UN road convoys in. This is true in eastern Aleppo where the opposition has agreed the UN's four point plan. We continue to urge the regime to agree it too; and we press Russia and Iran to use their influence with the regime to make this happen urgently.

Department for International Development

Syria: International Assistance

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what representations she has made to her international counterparts on coordinating the delivery of aid to the city of Aleppo; and if she will make a statement.

Rory Stewart: The Secretary of State for International Development discusses the appalling humanitarian situation in eastern Aleppo and the coordination of delivery with the heads of UN agencies on a regular basis. Most recently, she raised this matter with Stephen O’Brien, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator on 30 November. The Secretary of State has also issued statements on the continued suffering of the people of eastern Aleppo, calling on Russia to use its influence with the Syrian regime to allow aid in.

Developing Countries: Sanitation

Derek Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether her Department has assessed the potential merits of increasing the proportion of its overseas development aid dedicated to water, sanitation and hygiene.

James Wharton: The UK Government has committed to help 60 million people to gain access to water and sanitation by 2020. The focus will be to deliver results with best value for money, rather than pre-set budget allocations.

Government Departments: Overseas Aid

Kate Osamor: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that other Departments' official development assistance expenditure is transparent.

Priti Patel: All Government Departments will be held to the Value for Money guidance for Official Development Assistance that they committed to.

CDC: Offshore Funds

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the total value is of management fees for investment vehicles established or used by the Commonwealth Development Corporation in (a) the Cayman Islands, (b) Mauritius and (c) the Channel Islands in each of the last six years.

Rory Stewart: The management fee paid to Fund Managers is not dependent on where the fund is established. Management fees are paid to cover the fund managers’ operational costs in managing investments in difficult operating environments.Fund Managers do pay a licensing and registration fee to the governing jurisdiction to establish the fund. This varies depending on the size, type and location of the fund. For example, a fund established in Mauritius would pay one-off set up fees of USD$2,500 and annual fees of USD$5,000. These costs would be split proportionately between investors depending on size of their commitment to the fund.

Department for Education

Arts and Technology: GCSE

Mr David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which 10 local authority areas had the largest decline in GCSE take-up for (a) art and design, (b) design and technology, (c) drama and (d) music in the last five years; and what proportion of students qualified for free school meals in each of those areas.

Nick Gibb: The ten local authorities with the largest percentage point decline in entries for selected GCSE subjects between 2010 and 2016, and the proportion of students eligible for and claiming free school meals in state funded secondary schools in these areas is listed in the following table: Local authorities with the largest proportionate decline in entries for selected GCSE subjects1,2 between 2010 and 2016 and proportion of students eligible for and claiming free school meals in state funded secondary schools in these areasYear: From 2010 to 2016 (provisional)2  Number of pupils at the end of key stage 4Percentage of pupils entered for selected subjects in 2016Percentage of pupils entered for selected subjects in 2010Percentage known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals in secondary schoolsEngland541,08059.565.213.2Blackburn with Darwen1,75543.964.614.9Isles of Scilly2356.577.32.2South Tyneside1,53548.465.818.6Wirral3,40555.271.314.4Brighton and Hove2,14454.870.312.6Poole1,44163.278.27.0East Riding of Yorkshire3,34558.172.410.0Telford and Wrekin2,01756.370.713.7Wakefield3,64753.566.912.6Redcar and Cleveland1,61954.268.417.4Source: Secondary school performance tables and School CensusNotes:Percentage of pupils with GCSE entries in at least one of art and design, design and technology, drama or music.Includes Design and Technology specialising in Electronic Products, Food Technology, Graphic Products, Resistant Materials, Systems and Control and Textiles Technology. Also includes Design and Engineering Technology and Product Design qualifications.

Arts and Humanities: GCSE

Mr David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans her Department has to address the change in the uptake of arts and humanities subjects at GCSE (a) among disadvantaged students and (b) generally.

Nick Gibb: The Government believes that every child should experience a high quality arts education throughout their time at school. Our ambition is to increase the number of pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, entering English Baccalaureate (EBacc) subjects at GCSE, including geography or history as humanities subjects. Since the introduction of the EBacc attainment measure in performance tables in 2010/11, the proportion of pupils entering the humanities pillar of the EBacc has increased from 47.7% to 73.7% (2016 provisional). Last month, we announced a multi-million pound investment in music and cultural education to improve access to the arts for all children, regardless of their background, and to develop talent across the country. This includes:£300 million over the next four years for a network of music education hubs£29 million a year until 2018 for the Music and Dance scheme which provides support for talented young musicians and dancers to attend world-class institutions£4.1 million a year until 2018 for cultural education programmes£500,000 a year until 2018 for In Harmony, an orchestral training programme for pupils in disadvantaged areas£600,000 for other small music programmes across the country for each year until 2020£13.5 million a year until 2018 for the Dance and Drama Awards Scheme. This scheme offers income-assessed support for tuition fees and living costs for students aged 16-23 at a number of high quality private dance and drama schools.

Arts and Humanities: GCSE

Mr David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of the change in the uptake of arts and humanities subjects at GCSE as a result of the English Bacclaureate.

Nick Gibb: The Government’s ambition is to increase the number of pupils entering English Baccalaureate (EBacc) subjects at GCSE, including geography or history as humanities subjects. Since the introduction of the EBacc attainment measure in performance tables in 2010/11, and the proportion of pupils entering the humanities pillar of the EBacc has increased from 47.7% to 73.7% (2016 provisional). Among other humanities subjects, religious studies continue to be a popular subject at GCSE and A level with entries remaining broadly stable this year. There have also been increases in business studies and economics. Although GCSE entries in arts subjects declined in 2016, between 2012 and 2015, they rose. Since the EBacc was announced the proportion of pupils in state funded school taking at least one arts subject has increased from 45.8% in 2011 to 47.9% in 2016.

Schools: Admissions

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to increase the number of school places in (a) London and (b) England.

Nick Gibb: It is the Government’s ambition to build a country that works for everyone. The Schools that work for everyone consultation sets out proposals to support the Government’s commitment to increase the supply of good new school places. Local authorities are responsible for planning and securing sufficient school places in their area. Basic need funding is allocated to local authorities to help them to create new school places. The Coalition Government doubled basic need funding to £5 billion between 2011 and 2015, helping to create nearly 600,000 additional school places. The Government has already committed £7 billion for school places in England, which along with our investment in 500 new free schools we expect to deliver 600,000 new places by 2021. London received almost £2 billion in basic need funding between 2011 and 2015 and has been allocated over £1 billion for 2015-19. This funding has helped to create 200,000 school places in London between 2010 and 2015, with many more expected to be delivered.

Education: West Sussex

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to work with West Sussex County Council to improve education results in that area.

Nick Gibb: My officials have had two face-to-face meetings this term with lead West Sussex County Council officers to discuss school performance. These meetings have focused on particular concerns about results at Key Stage 2, as results at Key Stage 4 were better. At KS2 West Sussex were 144th out of 150 local authorities in England, compared to 52nd of 150 at KS4. These meetings resulted in agreement about maintained schools that will be considered for sponsored academy status, and academy trusts, which will be challenged by the Regional Schools Commissioner for poor performance in their schools. West Sussex County Council have issued warning notices to four primary schools identified as performing particularly badly. DfE officials will continue to meet the local authority to discuss schools causing particular concern. The Regional Schools Commissioner has visited West Sussex twice this term at the invitation of the local authority, and has spoken to heads and governors about current issues affecting schools. Officials are following this up with individual meetings with schools to discuss concerns and options for converting to academy status, joining together as multi-academy trusts, and other ways forward.

Schools: Coventry

Colleen Fletcher: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much capital funding has been allocated from the public purse to (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in Coventry local authority area in each of the last six years.

Nick Gibb: Coventry local authority received core capital allocations from the Department for Education of over £65 million from 2011-12 to 2016-17 financial years. Seven schools in Coventry have been successful in their applications to the Priority School Building Programme, a £4.4 billion programme which is rebuilding or refurbishing those school buildings in the worst condition across the country. School Condition and Basic Need allocations are provided at local authority level. It is at the discretion of the local authority how these allocations are distributed to primary and secondary schools in their area. Details on current and future Basic Need allocations are published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/basic-need-allocations Details on current and future School Condition allocations are published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/capital-allocations Devolved Formula Capital allocations are provided to individual schools. A breakdown of funding by institution is available for 2016-17: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/capital-allocations Details on successful applications to the Priority School Building Programme Phases 1 and 2 are published here:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/psbp-list-of-successful-applicantshttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/priority-school-building-programme-2-list-of-successful-schools  The following table provides a breakdown of these allocations on an annual basis:Coventry Local Authority(All values £m)2011-122012-132013-142014-152015-162016-17Devolved Formula Capital1.11.00.90.90.90.7School Condition Allocations5.85.04.54.34.33.6Basic Need allocations9.99.76.36.30.00.0Total16.915.611.611.45.24.4 Notes to table These allocations are targeted at maintained schools in Coventry local authority area, and do not include capital funding for academies, which is not channelled through the local authority.This table does not include the Department’s centrally delivered capital programmes, such as the Priority Schools Building Programme and Free Schools.These numbers refer to core capital allocations from the Department for Education. The actual amount spent will depend on decisions made at the local authority level.

Whitehaven Academy

Mr Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will provide funding for the rebuilding of the Whitehaven Academy.

Nick Gibb: The replacement of the buildings at Whitehaven Academy has previously been considered through capital bids to the Priority Schools Building Programme (PSBP), which were unsuccessful. The £4.4 billion PSBP programme is intended to replace or refurbish those school blocks in the worst condition across the country. By focusing on those individual buildings in the worst condition, we are targeting limited funding in the most effective way possible and securing best value for money for the taxpayer. DfE officials visited the school in April and October 2016 to help identify priority condition issues and gave advice to the Bright Tribe Trust as to how they should focus investment using funding from the annual school condition allocation that the Bright Tribe Trust receives.

Social Mobility Commission: Staff

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many full-time equivalent staff worked in the Social Mobility Commission in each of the last five years.

Nick Gibb: Since it was established in 2012, the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission, now the Social Mobility Commission, has been supported by a Secretariat with a headcount limit of seven FTE civil servants.

Schools: Asbestos

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of the schools that responded to the Education Funding Agency's 2016 asbestos in schools data collection exercise have an asbestos management plan.

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will publish the findings of the Asbestos data collection in schools exercise completed by the Education Funding Agency in March 2016.

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of schools that responded to the Education Funding Agency's 2016 Asbestos data collection had asbestos on site.

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of the schools that responded to the Education Funding Agency's 2016 asbestos in schools data collection exercise have had an asbestos management survey carried out for buildings which may contain asbestos.

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of the schools that responded to the Education Funding Agency's 2016 asbestos in schools data collection exercise have an asbestos register.

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of schools that responded to the Education Funding Agency's 2016 asbestos data collection have a procedure in place detailing control measures required to prevent disturbance of any known asbestos-containing materials.

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of schools that responded to the Education Funding Agency's 2016 asbestos data collection have a process in place to ensure that people who disturb asbestos in a school, including building contractors and those performing activities such as IT installations, receive information on the potential presence of asbestos.

Nick Gibb: The Department is intending to publish the findings from the Education Funding Agency (EFA) data collection, on asbestos management in schools. Last year, we published a comprehensive review of asbestos in schools and we are implementing its findings, working with the Health and Safety Executive and others.

Schools: North of England

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans her Department has for implementing the recommendations of the Northern Powerhouse Schools Strategy, an independent review by Sir Nick Weller on tackling education under-performance in the north of England.

Nick Gibb: We welcome Sir Nick Weller’s independent report, which sets out some important challenges on teaching, leadership and school standards in the north of England. We will take the time to discuss Sir Nick’s specific recommendations, with the regions and with education stakeholders, before setting out further detail about our plans in spring 2017.

Schools: Finance

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to provide interim funding to schools before the fairer funding formula is introduced in 2018-19.

Nick Gibb: We have confirmed that no area will see a reduction in per pupil schools funding in the coming year, and the extra £390 million was added to the schools budget in the last Parliament will remain in the baseline. We will confirm local authorities’ final budgets in December, reflecting the latest pupil numbers from the October census, and we will apply an uplift for high needs funding. As my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, said at the Education Select Committee in September, we currently do not plan to allocate additional schools funding in 2017-18.

Politics and Government: Education

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department provides to schools on teaching pupils about current affairs within the curriculum.

Nick Gibb: All schools are required to teach a balanced and broadly based curriculum that promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils, and prepares them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life. The National Curriculum sets out the subjects and programmes of study which must be taught to children of compulsory school age in maintained schools in England. It serves an important purpose in setting out an example of a knowledge-based, ambitious, academically rigorous education which every child should experience. If autonomous academies or Multi-Academy Trusts wish to deliver the National Curriculum in their schools, they can do so confidently. We want academies to use their freedoms to innovate and build more stretching and tailored curricula, to meet the particular needs of their pupils. The new National Curriculum, taught from September 2014, focuses on the essential knowledge that pupils should acquire during their time at school so that teachers can design a wider school curriculum that best meets the needs of their pupils. The programmes of study for citizenship set out that teaching should equip pupils with the knowledge to explore political and social issues critically, to weigh evidence, debate and make reasoned arguments. Beyond the prescribed curriculum, schools have the freedom to teach topics, such as current affairs, to ensure that children receive a rounded education.

Teachers: Training

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions her Department has had with teachers and other education providers on the training required by teachers to effectively tackle homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying.

Caroline Dinenage: Bullying, including homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying, is unacceptable and should not be tolerated in our schools. The Government is committed to tackling it in all forms. All schools are required by law to have a behaviour policy with measures to tackle bullying among pupils. Schools are free to develop their own anti-bullying strategies but they are held clearly to account for their effectiveness through Ofsted. We trust schools to decide for themselves what training their staff need in order to be able to do this effectively. However, we know that individuals who are, or perceived to be, homosexual, bisexual or transgender are disproportionately affected by bullying. In 2015, research by the UCL Institute of Education identified that 56% of young LGB people aged 14-16 were bullied compared to 45% of their heterosexual peers. To help schools to tackle bullying and support victims, in September 2016 the Department for Education and the Government Equalities Office announced £4.4m of funding for 10 projects to tackle bullying, including £2.8 million for projects tackling specifically homophobic, transphobic and biphobic bullying. This programme focuses on primary and secondary schools in England which currently have no, or ineffective, measures in place. The funding will involve voluntary sector organisations engaging with teachers and schools through training, and supporting them to work through a whole school approach. Further information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/thousands-more-children-to-benefit-from-anti-bullying-app.

Schools: Closures

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many secondary schools her Department has closed in (a) Birmingham, (b) the West Midlands and (c) each region of England since 2015.

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the main reasons have been for the closure of secondary schools by her Department since 2010.

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much her Department has spent on school closures since (a) 2010 and (b) 2015.

Nick Gibb: Since 2015 seven maintained schools in Birmingham have closed in order to convert to academy status. Since 2015 the following number of schools[1] have opened and closed in each region:RegionClosures since 2015Opened since 2015[2]East Midlands2724East of England3531London2138North East2019North West2731South East3136South West1824West Midlands4855Yorkshire and the Humber3237 Since 2010, the main reasons for closing secondary schools is to allow a maintained school to convert to academy status [1906 schools]. Other reasons for closure include allowing schools to amalgamate or merge [106 schools] (this requires either the closure of one, or more, schools and an expansion and / or an age range change of another school, or the closure of two or more schools and the opening of a new replacement school), and the complete closure of a school [84 LA maintained schools and 14 academies]. The LA decides whether to close a LA maintained school; decisions on academy closures are made by the Secretary of State.The Department does not record, centrally, information on the costs of school closures.[1] Information is taken from EduBase and includes local-authority maintained schools and academies[2] Includes existing schools that have merged or closed and reopened to change their status and maintained schools which have converted to academy status.

Academies: Closures

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many academies her Department has closed as a result of Ofsted reports.

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many secondary academies her Department has closed since (a) 2010 and (b) 2015.

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many secondary schools her Department has closed within three years of their conversion from a state secondary school to a single trust academy.

Edward Timpson: The Department for Education has not closed any academies (excluding free schools, studio schools and UTCs) solely as a result of Ofsted reports. When a decision is taken to close an academy many factors are taken into consideration. Closure in this context is taken to include the complete permanent closure of a school, as well as closures which take place as a result of allowing schools to amalgamate or merge. An academy may also be re-brokered. This is where an academy changes trust and/or sponsor and is closed and re-opened as a new academy in a different trust.59 academies have been closed since 2010. The majority of these have either been re-brokered, amalgamated or merged with other academies.There have been complete closures of four academies. Two of these academies are secondary academies and have closed since 2015.Of these four academies, only one was rated as Inadequate by Ofsted in the inspection prior to its closure, although at its previous inspection it was rated as Good.Establishment NameClose DatePhase Of EducationLast Ofsted gradeLast Ofsted dateThe Marlowe Academy03/09/2015SecondaryRequires Improvement10/07/2013Manchester Alternative Provision Academy01/09/2014Not applicableNo inspection dataNo inspection dataWeston Academy31/12/2015PrimaryInadequate21/01/2015Oasis Academy Hextable31/08/2016SecondaryRequires Improvement22/04/2015 One secondary school, Oasis Academy Hextable, closed within three years of their conversion from a state secondary school. This school was part of the Oasis multi academy trust and after the trust reviewed pupil projections it was deemed that this academy was not viable.

Schools: Closures

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, on how many occasions her Department has paused a school closure consultation and subsequently closed that school since 2010.

Nick Gibb: Consultation on a proposal to close a school is undertaken locally either by the local authority or the academy trust to allow those directly affected by the proposals to give in their comments.The Department does not record or hold this information centrally.

Academies: Finance

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many headteachers or board members of academies have been (a) prosecuted and (b) found in a court judgment to be responsible for the financial irregularities of an academy.

Edward Timpson: The Department knows of one case at an academy trust which resulted in a prosecution and conviction. This involved the conviction of the head teacher and two other board members for fraud as part of the same trial. The Department is not aware of other court judgments where head teachers or board members have been found to be responsible for financial irregularities at an academy trust.

Schools: Closures

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what data sources her Department uses to determine the expected future demand for school places to inform a decision on closing a secondary school.

Nick Gibb: Local authorities are responsible for providing enough school places for children in their area. Data on the need for future school places is supplied by local authorities. This is provided through the annual School Capacity Survey, which includes primary and secondary school capacity by local authority and pupil forecasts for five years for primary and seven years for secondary. All decisions related to LA maintained school closures are taken locally. The Department is responsible for administering the process to close academies.

Glenburn Sports College

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 1 December 2016 to Question 55124, whether her Department communicated the decision on the transfer of ownership of the former Glenburn Sports College site in Skelmersdale from her Department to Lancashire County Council to bodies other than Lancashire County Council.

Edward Timpson: Lancashire County Council were informed of the determination made by the Secretary of State to transfer the school site to their ownership in a letter dated 14 November 2016. No other parties have been informed.

Children's Centres: Yorkshire and the Humber

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many Sure Start centres have closed in Yorkshire and the Humber since 2010; and where such centres were located.

Caroline Dinenage: Local authorities have a duty to ensure there are sufficient centres to meet local need; and a duty to consult where changes are planned to local children’s centre provision.As at 31 October 2016 there were 3,259 main children’s centres and sites open to families and children providing children's centre services as part of a network. Children’s centre records are maintained by local authorities and are made publicly available via the department’s “EduBase portal” at: http://www.education.gov.uk/edubase/home.xhtml.As at 5 December 2016, based on the information supplied by local authorities 37 children’s centres had closed in Yorkshire and Humberside since April 2010. The local authority in which they were located is given in the table below:Local authorityNumber of children’s centres closedBarnsley9Doncaster9East Riding of Yorkshire1North Yorkshire7Wakefield11Total37

Institute for Apprenticeships

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 29 November 2016 to Question 54109, on Institute for Apprenticeships, whether any of the potential sites under consideration is in Sheffield.

Robert Halfon: There is an on-going assessment of potential sites for the Institute for Apprenticeships and a final decision will be announced shortly.

Baverstock Academy

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the cost of closure of Baverstock Academy in Druids Heath, Birmingham.

Edward Timpson: Whilst the Secretary of State has not yet arrived at a decision about Baverstock Academy’s future, the Department’s priority in making decisions about the future of any school is to assess which option will deliver the best educational outcomes for local children. The Secretary of State’s analysis is based on the Departmental priority that all children should have access to good or outstanding schools and on the overall value for money.A range of factors inform the value for money judgement. These include the estimated costs of keeping the school open in its current form, introducing a new sponsor and closure. The Secretary of State will also consider the progress and attainment of pupils and standard of educational provision on offer to children in the local area. Baverstock’s financial viability and educational performance will be assessed in the light of the Department’s wider strategy to deliver good or outstanding school places for every child whilst maintaining efficient and effective use of resources.

Secondary Education

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average cost is of a new (a) academy secondary, (b) secondary free and (c) maintained secondary school.

Nick Gibb: Core funding for all academies and free schools is calculated on the same basis as core funding for maintained schools, so that no school is financially advantaged or disadvantaged because of their status. They are all funded according to local formulae, set by the local authority and agreed by the local schools forum. An individual school’s funding allocation will depend on factors such as its size and the characteristics of its pupils. This includes all new schools, whose funding will also be adjusted to reflect the proportion of the year they are open. As individual circumstances vary so significantly, the Department does not calculate an average cost for a new school; every new school is considered on a case-by-case basis. From 2018-19, funding for all schools will be calculated on an equal basis by a national funding formula. More detail on our proposals for the formula will be provided in a consultation to be published shortly. New academies and free schools also receive a pre-opening grant to support the costs of opening. Rates vary based on school type, from a £25,000 grant for a converter academy, to £80,000-150,000 for secondary schools becoming sponsored academies, where the grant supports costs of school improvement as well as conversion. As detailed in the free school pre-opening guide, new secondary free schools receive a project development grant of £300,000 if they are the first school to be opened by a trust in a single academic year. The grant reduces to £200,000 for subsequent secondary free schools.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Local Press: Legal Costs

Andrea Jenkyns: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act 2013, what steps her Department has taken to protect the independence of regional press organisations.

Andrea Jenkyns: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act 2013, what steps her Department has taken to protect regional publishers who do not wish to join an approved regulator.

Matt Hancock: The Government launched a consultation on 1 November to look at two issues, one of which is the commencement of section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act 2013. As the consultation document sets out, the consultation is an opportunity for all interested individuals and organisations to set out their views and to provide more detailed evidence around the potential impacts of the various options for the section 40 incentive. The consultation document covers points specific to local publishers, see for example paragraphs 39 and 44.More information is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consultation-on-the-leveson-inquiry-and-its-implementation

Gambling: Children

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Gambling Commission report, Young People and Gambling, published in November 2016, what steps her Department is taking to prevent children aged 11 to 16 from participating in gambling.

Tracey Crouch: The protection of children from being harmed or exploited by gambling is one of the core objectives of the Gambling Act 2005. The Gambling Commission report on Young People and Gambling showed that the level of participation of children aged 11-16 in gambling has remained relatively static. While the report made clear that some of the activities reported may be legal, eg betting between friends or on crane grab machines in Family Entertainment Centres, there is no room for complacency. The law is clear that children are not allowed to gamble in pubs, betting offices, bingo halls or arcades and where there is a failure to prevent underage gambling, the Gambling Commission will take regulatory and/or criminal action.

Channel Four Television

Ian C. Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the oral evidence by the Chair of Ofcom to the Culture, Media and Sport Committee on 22 November 2016, on the outstanding range of recommendations made for appointment to the board of Channel 4, for what reason she rejected one of those recommendations.

Matt Hancock: Non-executive members of the Channel 4 Corporation board are appointed by Ofcom with the approval of the Secretary of State. Ofcom advertised for four vacancies for candidates with specific sector skills and experience. The Secretary of State approved the four candidates on the basis that they met the skills and experience set out in the advertised job descriptions.

Broadband: Northern Ireland

Ms Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to paragraph 1.20 of the Autumn Statement 2016, what proportion of that investment in broadband will be allocated to projects in Northern Ireland.

Ms Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to paragraph 1.20 of the Autumn Statement 2016, how her Department plans to determine the allocation of broadband investment.

Matt Hancock: In his Autumn Statement, the Chancellor announced that the Government would invest over £1 billion in the UK’s digital infrastructure. This includes £400 million for a new Digital Infrastructure Investment Fund to boost commercial finance for emerging fibre broadband providers, which will be launched in early 2017. It also includes funding for further rollout of fibre broadband networks, which in partnership with local authorities across the UK who bid for fibre broadband connections, will prioritise faster connections for businesses and help build a better more productive economy for all. To facilitate the next wave of mobile technology, the Government will also fund a new programme of fibre and 5G trials. Further details of how this funding will be allocated will be announced in due course.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Cattle: Testing

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much the Government spent on annual testing of cattle in the high risk, edge and low risk areas in each of the last three years.

George Eustice: These are the figures currently available for annual testing in England for the three areas:  EdgeHigh RiskLow RiskApril 2016 to 20 Oct 2016£745,617£1,261,432£15,928May 2015 to March 2016£1,169,118£2,001,883£35,589  The total does not include any testing undertaken by Official Veterinarians in the first few months of year 2015-2016. Testing prior to year 2015-2016 is not available at the moment as the Veterinary Delivery Partners only started operating in May 2015. The testing undertaken by Official Veterinarians up to a point in 2015 is not readily available.

Sheep Dipping: Organophosphates

Neil Parish: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will publish the minutes of the meeting in November 2015 between the Sheep Dip Sufferers Support Group and the Minister of State for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

George Eustice: A summary of the meeting I held on 19 November 2015 with the Sheep Dip Sufferers Support Group is publicly available on its web site:http://www.sheepdipsufferers.uk/campaigning/Summary%20of%20meeting.pdf.

Organophosphates

Neil Parish: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will take steps to publicise better the 2014 findings of the Committee on Toxicity as far as they relate to the health effects of exposure to organophosphates.

George Eustice: The 2014 findings of the COT review on the health effects of the exposure to organophosphates is in the public domain and can be found on the COT’s website: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20140909095303/http:/cot.food.gov.uk/cotstatements/cotstatementsyrs/cotstatements2014/cotstatorg.

Sheep Dipping: Organophosphates

Neil Parish: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will meet the Sheep Dip Sufferers Support Group to discuss the effects of organophosphates.

George Eustice: My hon. Friend will be aware that I met the Sheep Dip Sufferers Support Group about a year ago and discussed this issue in depth. The Committee on Toxicity has looked at this issue exhaustively, examining 26 different studies over a period of more than a decade, and concluded that in the absence of acute poisoning there would not be meaningful long-term effects.To the best of my knowledge there is no new scientific evidence available that would alter this conclusion. I am sympathetic to farmers suffering from ill health but at this time I do not feel a further meeting would be beneficial.

Sheep Dipping: Organophosphates

Neil Parish: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will estimate the number of farmers that have reported illnesses relating to exposure to organophosphate sheep dips since 1990.

George Eustice: The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) has recorded the number of reports of suspected adverse reactions in humans to OP dips received each year since records began in 1985. To date this figure is 634. To the best of the VMD’s knowledge this is most comprehensive dataset available.

Sheep Scab (Revocation) Order 1992

Neil Parish: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will publish documents held by her Department relating to the reasons for the introduction of the Sheep Scab (Revocation) Order 1992.

George Eustice: The Sheep Scab (Revocation) Order 1992 revoked The Sheep Scab (National Dip) Order 1990, the Sheep Scab (National Dip) (Amendment) Order 1991 and the Sheep Scab Order 1992. This consequently ended the compulsory annual sheep dipping requirement. The Government released information explaining why the decision was taken to end compulsory dipping, and the conclusions of the VPC reviews of organophosphate sheep dips at the time in May of this year. I sent a letter, explaining this, to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee and this was copied to Tom Rigby of the Sheep Dip Sufferers Support Group.

Furs: Import Controls

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions her Department has had with the Department for Exiting the European Union on retaining in legislation the ban on the trade in animal fur after the UK leaves the EU.

George Eustice: The Government will bring forward legislation in the next session that, when enacted, will repeal the European Communities Act 1972 and ensure a functioning statute book on the day we leave the EU. This ‘Great Repeal Bill’ will end the authority of EU law and return power to the UK. The Bill will convert existing European Union law into domestic law, wherever practical and in that context all relevant legislation is currently being identified and assessed.

Cats: Animal Breeding

Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to bring forward proposals to amend the Pet Animals Act 1951 to prohibit repeat breeding and sale from the family cat or cats.

George Eustice: The Government is in the process of reviewing the animal establishments licensing schemes, including those that regulate the sale of pet animals. We have proposed to replace the Pet Animals Act 1951 with regulations made under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. One of our proposals is to remove the exemption whereby someone can sell any number of pedigree animals without a licence if they have been bred from the family pet.

Flood Control

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether temporary flood barriers, mobile water pumps and incident command vehicles were deployed during Storm Angus.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Storm Angus brought widespread heavy rainfall to many parts of the country, particularly across the South West and North East. During the storm the Environment Agency deployed 94m of temporary flood barriers and 2 small mobile water pumps. No incident command vehicles were deployed. 1,095 staff were deployed to respond to the flooding and support affected communities. 139 Flood Warnings and 1 Severe Flood Warning were also issued.

Recycling

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she plans to take to ensure that the UK meets the EU target to reuse and recycle 50 per cent of household waste by 2020.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Sunderland Central, Julie Elliott, on 25 November 2016, PQ UIN 54005.

Agriculture: Subsidies

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much each of the top 50 recipients of funding from the Common Agricultural Policy received in 2015.

George Eustice: CAP payment data held for the 2015 European Commission financial year (16 October 2014 – 15 October 2015) is published on the UK CAP payments website.The link is http://cap-payments.defra.gov.uk/Search.aspx.

Land: Reform

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will establish a Land Reform Review Group for England.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Defra has no plans to establish a Land Reform Review Group for England.

Meat: Sales

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what definition her Department uses of the term grass-fed; and what guidance her Department issues to farmers on the use of the term grass-fed when marketing meat.

George Eustice: There is no legal definition of “grass-fed“ in relation to livestock rearing practice, although there is a general obligation in food labelling and consumer law that food labelling should not mislead the consumer and this obligation remains in place. Previous voluntary labelling guidance defined grass-fed as “fed primarily on grass in the field”. Defra is currently working on a range of proposals to inform discussions about the shape of a future agriculture policy and we want to ensure that the future regulatory framework continues to provide consumers with confidence in the food that they are buying, and continues to secure our world-leading reputation for high quality and standards.

Flood Control

Conor McGinn: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much funding has been allocated to (a) St Helens, (b) Merseyside and (c) the UK for flood prevention and remediation in each year since 2010.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Government has invested £2.5 billion over six years on improving flood defences to better protect over 300,000 homes. This is a real terms increase in capital investment – up from £1.7 billion in the last Parliament and £1.5 billion between 2005 and 2010. The table below summarises the total capital investment on flood and coastal risk management for St Helens, Merseyside and England for each year since 2010.  Total capital investment on flood and coastal risk management (£k) St Helens (Metropolitan Borough) MerseysideEngland2010/113184,501363,9852011/121881,329321,9002012/13377466323,2192013/141078380,2172014/150206507,8842015/1600412,952

Flood Control

Conor McGinn: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much funding for flood prevention her Department has allocated to each local authority in 2016-17.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Department provides funding for flood risk management projects through Grant in Aid to Risk Management Authorities, which include the Environment Agency, local authorities and internal drainage boards. Please see the attached table which shows Grant in Aid funding allocated to Risk Management Authorities in 2016/17. This is a snapshot for the current year and reflects the bids made by authorities for specific projects. In addition funding for local authorities’ ongoing flood prevention responsibilities is provided through the Local Government Settlement. Local authorities have freedom to determine their own priorities and so there is no specific flood allocation by authority. Funding for two ongoing flood responsibilities, the Lead Local Flood Authority role and local authorities’ role as statutory consultee on surface water for major developments, was previously provided through Defra and DCLG grants but as of 2016/17 has been fully rolled into the settlement. The visible lines show a notional amount for each authority for these two purposes. The lines indicate the priority central government gives to these two services but do not affect authorities’ freedom to set their own priorities locally.



Grant in Aid funding allocated to Risk Management 
(PDF Document, 151.93 KB)

Ivory: Imports

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 2 December 2016 to Question 55450, if she will publish the reasons why the Animal and Plant Health Agency refused to grant import permits in those cases; and if she will make a statement.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Further to PQ 55450, the reasons for refusal to grant import permits are as follows: 9 applications were refused because APHA asked for additional information regarding the specimens. As there was no response from applicant the applications were closed and refused. 2 applications were refused because of irregularities surrounding the weight of the specimens (tusks). 1 application was withdrawn and therefore formally refused. 1 application refused as a permit was not required for the requested activity. Personal effects derogation applied. 7 applications refused because imports to the EU of ivory from the source specified in the application is prohibited. 20 applications refused because they were retrospective. 1 application refused as APHA could not be satisfied the specimen was pre-convention.

Moths: Crops

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to prevent diamondback moths from destroying seasonal Brussels sprouts crops.

George Eustice: Protecting our country from pests and diseases is important for our economy, the environment and our health and we will continue to monitor the situation and work with farmers to limit the damage to our valuable crops sector. Diamondback moths migrate to the UK every summer. While the number observed this year was particularly high, a range of control methods is available for farmers to protect their crops, including through application of the pesticide Benevia 10OD. The Government issued an emergency authorisation for the use of this pesticide to combat the moth earlier this year.

Trapping: Codes of Practice

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how her Department plans to monitor implementation of the guidance set out in the Code of Practice on the use of snares; and when her Department plans to review or revise that code.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Government welcomes the Code of Practice, which has been developed and is owned by game keeping and land management organisations. Defra will continue to work with those organisations to promote effective implementation of the Code. There are no immediate plans to review implementation of the Code but we will keep this under review.

Department for Exiting the European Union

European Investment Bank

Mr Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the future use of funding held as part of the UK share in the capital of the European Investment Bank.

Mr David Jones: The Department is working closely with the Treasury and other Departments across Whitehall as we prepare our negotiating position. Collectively, we are working to ensure that people and businesses have stability and certainty in the period leading up to our departure from the EU and that we secure a deal in the best interests of the UK.

Devolution

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, if he will take steps to ensure that the Northern Ireland Assembly and the other devolved administration have the power to affirm or reject EU legislation governing devolved matters after the Great Repeal Bill becomes law; and if he will make a statement.

Mr David Jones: The implications of exiting the EU for the devolution settlements will require discussion with the devolved administrations. The Prime Minister has made clear her intention to engage with the devolved administrations, and the Joint Ministerial Committee (EU Negotiations) has been established to provide a forum for the discussion of issues stemming from the negotiation process.

Brexit

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that racism, hate crime and dog whistle tactics are routinely condemned during the UK's negotiations on leaving the EU.

Mr David Jones: Hate crime of any kind, directed against any community, race or religion, has absolutely no place in our society. The government is firmly committed to tackling hate crime, which is why we have published a new Hate Crime Action Plan which focuses on reducing hate crime, increasing reporting and improving support for victims. We have also launched a new funding scheme to help protect places of worship.

Attorney General

Deportation: EU Nationals

Mr Chuka Umunna: To ask the Attorney General, whether his office has conducted analysis of the legal implications of deporting EU citizens from the UK after the UK has left the EU.

Robert Buckland: The Law Officers give legal advice to the Government on a range of matters, including on EU issues, and our office provides advice and support to us in that role. I am not able to talk about any legal content of our advice because, by convention, the fact that the Law Officers have advised or have not advised and the content of their advice must not be disclosed outside Government without their authority.

European Court of Justice

Julie Elliott: To ask the Attorney General, what discussions he has had with the Prime Minister on the UK's relationship with the European Court of Justice after the UK leaves the EU.

Robert Buckland: I regularly meet the Prime Minister and Ministerial colleagues to discuss important issues of common interest, including the UK’s exit from the EU. I am not able to talk about any legal content of those discussions because, by convention, the fact that the Law Officers have advised or have not advised and the content of their advice must not be disclosed outside Government without their authority.

Slavery: Prosecutions

Karl McCartney: To ask the Attorney General, what steps the Government is taking to increase the number of prosecutions for modern slavery.

Robert Buckland: We have the strongest legal framework in place including the Modern Slavery Act, which came into force in July 2015. The Law Officers are supporting the Prime Minister’s Taskforce on Modern Slavery, and the CPS continues to see a year on year increase in the numbers of prosecutions.

Criminal Proceedings

Martyn Day: To ask the Attorney General, what discussions he has had with the devolved administrations on the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU on the ability to prosecute criminals.

Robert Buckland: The Crown Prosecution Service and the Serious Fraud Office regularly engage and cooperate with the Crown Office, Scotland’s Prosecution Service, and the Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland.The Government recognizes the importance of retaining good co-operation with European countries on prosecutions, and will continue to engage with the devolved Administrations to seek the best arrangement possible on leaving the EU.

Wales Office

Wales Office: Work Experience

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many unpaid internships there are in his Department.

Guto Bebb: None.

Ministry of Justice

Immigration: Appeals

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many tribunal users did not have legal representation and were litigants in person in the First-tier Tribunal in each of the last five years.

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many litigants in person lodged successful appeals under the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) in each of the last five years.

Sir Oliver Heald: The Ministry of Justice does not hold information on the number of Tribunal users without legal representation.

Courts: Appeals

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the effect of fee increases in tribunals and courts in the last five years on numbers of applications and appeals.

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much court fees have increased since 2010, by court; and what the level of such fees has been at each such increase.

Sir Oliver Heald: The details of all court fee increases since 2010 can be found in the relevant secondary legislation, which is available on http://www.legislation.gov.uk/When we announce our intention to change court and tribunal fees we routinely publish, alongside the Government response to consultation, an Impact Assessment setting out our assessment of the impacts of those changes, these are also available on the www.gov.uk website. We keep our court and tribunal fees policy under regular review.

Ministry of Justice: Liverpool City Region

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people working for her Department or its executive agencies in the Liverpool City Region on a (a) directly employed, (b) agency or (c) outsourced basis are paid less than the living wage as defined by the Living Wages Foundation; and how many such people are employed on zero-hours contracts.

Dr Phillip Lee: The table below shows the number of staff directly employed by the Department or its executive agencies who are paid less than the living wage (LW) as defined by the Living Wage Foundation, none of which are employed on zero hours contracts. This data is shown as at 30th September 2016. Number below living wageTotal headcount in Liverpool regionMoJ inc MoJ HQ, HMCTS, OPG, CICA and LAA.17618NOMS (including the National Probation Service)12834The MoJ contractors supplying the provision of Contingent Labour Services have confirmed that 27 agency staff are paid less than the Living Wage in the Liverpool City Region.

Community Rehabilitation Companies

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, from what date the fee for service for Community Rehabilitation Companies in England and Wales will be reduced; and by what proportion that reduction will be.

Mr Sam Gyimah: This information is published on the contracts finder section on gov.uk.

Offenders: Wales

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many offenders were re-classified by the Community Rehabilitation Company in Wales from (a) low to medium, (b) low to high and (c) medium to high risk in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The information requested is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Community Rehabilitation Companies

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what training Community Rehabilitation Company staff receive on assessing the risk of harm and threat to the public from offenders on supervision.

Mr Sam Gyimah: Public protection is our priority and we continue to work closely with probation providers to maintain appropriate staffing levels and to rehabilitate offenders effectively. Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs) and the National Probation Service are required to ensure that staff authorised as ‘Responsible Officers’ have the requisite skills to manage offenders and undertake relevant statutory functions, including responding to and managing changes in an offender’s behaviour that indicate the risk of serious harm is increasing. The ‘Probation Practice' competence framework outlines the minimum necessary skills an offender manager must demonstrate in order to be authorised as a ‘Responsible Officer’. Training programmes provided or commissioned by the CRC in order to authorise staff as ‘Responsible Officers’ need to evidence how the programme aligns with these minimum criteria.

Offenders: Rehabilitation

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what sanctions are taken by her Department if either the National Probation Service or Community Rehabilitation Companies fail to take back to court offenders who have missed two or more appointments without reasonable excuse.

Mr Sam Gyimah: Protection of the public is our key priority. This includes taking effective action to ensure that court orders are properly enforced. Probation Instruction 06/2014 (Enforcement of Community Orders and Suspended Sentence Orders) requires the National Probation Service (NPS) and Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs) to return offenders serving a community order or suspended sentence order to court, in the event of two unreasonable failures to comply with the requirements of the order.NPS cases where action has not been taken within the timescales set out in the Probation Instruction are identified in management information reports and line managers are required to take appropriate action, depending upon the circumstances of the case.The National Offender Management Service’s contract management teams closely monitor the CRCs, to make sure they fulfil their contractual commitments to maintain service delivery, reduce re-offending, protect the public and provide value for money to the taxpayer. This includes enforcing orders where offenders fail to comply.

Offences against Children

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans she has to bring into force section 67 of the Serious Crime Act 2015.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The Government is committed to commencing section 67 of the Serious Crime Act 2015 and will do so as soon as possible.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, for what reasons she has not yet answered Question 54358, tabled on 22 November 2016 by the hon. Member for Stretford and Urmston; and when she plans to answer that Question.

Dr Phillip Lee: Question 54358 was answered on 06 December 2016. The answer was delayed due to officials looking into whether or not the information could be broken down by sector as asked in the question.

Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 8 November 2016 to Question 51526, if she will publish a timetable for the amendments to domestic law required before ratification of the Istanbul Convention can take place.

Mr Sam Gyimah: I refer the honourable member to Answer of 8 November 2016 to Question 51526.

Cabinet Office

Official Cars

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many safer vehicles have been procured by each government department since the adoption of the Road Safety Statement.

Ben Gummer: The high-level vehicle data that is held centrally does not include the safety specific standard equipment or the optional safety related extras that may have been added. Consequently, we are unable to provide the information required.The Crown Commercial Service is committed to supporting the British Road Safety Statement and has recently put in place a Vehicle Telematics Framework to support public sector fleets in addressing driver behaviour and adopting safer driving policies.

Electronic Government: Proof of Identity

Louise Haigh: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people have verified their identity using the gov.uk Verify system since its inception.

Louise Haigh: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when he expects the gov.uk Verify to be in use by the 19 local authorities participating in proposed local government trials of that service.

Ben Gummer: GOV.UK Verify is already accepting registrations. Citizens have been able to verify their identities in order to access government services since 14 October 2014. Since then, GOV.UK Verify has been used more than 1 million times, with 945,000 identity accounts verified so far.Work on the two main local authority trials - relating to residents’ parking permit services applications and older people’s concessionary travel - started in October and November 2016 respectively. Both trials are currently in their user research and design phases; the build and testing of prototypes will start in February 2017. GOV.UK Verify expects the first local authority councils to connect to its platform in summer 2017.

House of Commons Commission

House of Commons Annunciator System: Internet

Kirsty Blackman: To ask the Rt. hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington, representing the House of Commons Commission, with reference to the Answer of 12 May 2016 to Question 36829, on House of Commons Annunciator System: Internet, when procurement for that system will be completed; and when he expects that system to be in operation.

Tom Brake: A successful procurement process was concluded in June 2016 for a new annunciator system. As part of phase one of this project, we anticipate the new software will be rolled out by Easter 2017. The system has been specified in such a way that it will enable delivery of the data to mobile devices as part of phase two of this project. A delivery date for phase two has yet to be agreed.